About 750 children from five Alex and Marlboro schools celebrated the World Environment Day on 5 June, participating in an owl drawing competition to raise public awareness on the importance of this nocturnal bird to environmental management and public health.
The owls’ night movement makes them shunned by some cultural beliefs which associate them with witchcraft and evil, prompting them to be killed.
With their minds still unpolluted by the belief, pupils at Zenzeleni, Iphutheng, Carter Primary, Minerva, Alex Secondary schools and, Marlboro Gardens Combined School, embraced the Owls Project five years ago. They have been rearing and releasing owls from cages at night to help tackle the huge rat menace in the township which poses a public health risk through diseases like the plague, the destruction of household and personal items and injury to children.
The pupils painted the owls on recycled wooden templates which were displayed on school fences for the public’s view and awareness raising.
At Zenzeleni Primary, pupils spoke glowingly about owls. Mandisa Mazule, winner of the school’s best drawing, said owls cleaned the environment, protected people’s clothes and stopped the spread of diseases by killing the rats which rummaged through food. Teacher Azwindini Netshimboni said the pupils’ involvement in the project helped to change parents and residents’ attitudes on the owls, resulting in some homes also rearing owls.
Kefiloe Moatung commended the children for what she said was an encouraging act and attitude to conservation and public awareness raising. “Their artwork is of high quality and we want to exhibit it at the Joburg Zoo or a local art gallery,” Motaung said.
The work was judged by a local actress, Itumeleng Bokaba who handed out a bag for girls, a soccer ball for boys to the two winners per school, and certificates to all participants.
The overall winner of the best exhibition was Marlboro Gardens which received a cheque for R5 000. Motaung said the stakes will be much higher at next year’s competition.
Details: Owls Project 011 791 7326.
